General Reed was born in 1929, in Elkhorn City, Ky., and graduated from Warfield (Ky.) High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in international relations from Syracuse University, N.Y., in 1959 and a master of public administration degree from The George Washington University in 1965. He completed Air Command and Staff College in 1965, and Air War College in 1972.

From June 1952 to June 1953 he attended pilot training at Marana Air Base, Ariz., and Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., as an aviation cadet. After graduating as a second lieutenant, he completed the F-94C All-Weather Fighter-Interceptor School at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and in December 1953 was assigned to the 332nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at New Castle Air Force Base, Del.

He was assigned as an F-89D pilot to the 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska, in July 1954. Upon completion of his Alaskan tour of duty in July 1956, he was assigned to the 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Ind. Other squadron assignments included duty as weapons director and operations officer with the 903rd Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Gettysburg, S.D.; 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.; 916th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Prince George, British Columbia; and as flight commander, 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y., where he flew F-101B's.

General Reed was assigned to Headquarters 26th Air Division at Hancock Field, N.Y., in June 1963 as aide-de-camp to Major General Arthur C. Agan Jr. Upon completing Air Command and Staff College in June 1965, he was assigned to Headquarters Air Defense Command, Ent Air Force Base, Colo. While there he served as an operations staff officer and assistant executive officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations.

In September 1967 he went to Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Mo., where he worked for the commander, 10th Air Force, as special assistant for command planning. In July 1968 he transferred to the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing, George Air Force Base, Calif., and completed F-4 combat crew training in preparation for an assignment to Southeast Asia.

The general transferred in December 1968 to the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, where he served as operations officer for the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron. While there he completed 305 combat hours in F-4s. After returning to the United States in December 1969, he entered F-106 combat crew training at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. He then was assigned as operations officer for the 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Hamilton Air Force Base, Calif.

Upon graduation from Air War College in June 1972, he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as chief, Doctrine Development Branch, and later as assistant chief, Doctrine Division, in the Directorate of Doctrine, Concepts and Objectives, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations.

In April 1974 he was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Six Man Group. This was a special study team established by the chief of staff to investigate and advise him on matters pertaining to the development and employment of Air Force forces. Upon completion of this study effort in March 1975, he was assigned to the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, S.C., as vice commander. He became commander in August 1976.

General Reed was assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., in April 1979 as commander, Tactical Training Davis-Monthan. From July 1980 to August 1982 he served at Tyndall Air Force Base as commander of the Air Defense Weapons Center. He then transferred to Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va., as deputy chief of staff for operations. In September 1984 he became Air Force assistant vice chief of staff, Washington, D.C. He also served as the Air Force representative, U.S. Delegation to the Military Staff Committee, United Nations. He assumed his present duties in June 1986.

The general is a command pilot with 6,100 flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters, and Air Force Commendation Medal.